Raymond Barry Griffiths sentenced for choking

A Gympie tree-lopper wiped away tears as the court heard he strangled a woman until she almost blacked out and was saved by her young child.

A 29-year-old father wiped away tears in Gympie District Court on Wednesday as horrific details about his violent attack on a woman, witnessed by her 10-year-old child, were shared.

Raymond Barry Griffiths appeared in the court via videolink on Wednesday afternoon and pleaded guilty to one charge of strangulation in a domestic setting from October 2021, and one summary charge.

The court heard the victim had suffered violence at the hands of Griffiths multiple times in the lead up to the event, which began when the woman kicked him out of her home on October 4, 2021.

Later that afternoon, she told Griffiths she had smashed his belongings and for him to collect them.

Raymond Barry Griffiths pleaded guilty to one charge of strangulation in a domestic setting from October 2021, and one summary charge.

He did, and an argument ensued.

But the situation escalated when Griffiths punched the woman five times to the chest, then grabbed her by the throat and dropped her to the floor.

Crown Prosecutor Darcy Evans said he then put both hands around her throat and squeezed, almost causing her to black out.

“He told the complainant ‘I’m gonna f***ing kill you’,” Mr Evans said.

This was all witnessed by the woman’s young son, who screamed at Griffiths to stop.

The court heard Raymond Griffiths strangled the woman until she almost lost consciousness.

When police arrived, Griffiths came clean about the attack and said he “did wrong (sic)” and was “guilty”.

The woman was left with red marks to her neck and face, and the child told police she had trouble speaking afterwards.

Griffiths has remained in custody since.

Defence barrister Amelia Loode told the court her client had recently been hired as a tree lopper and the work would start once he was released from prison.

Griffiths wiped away tears as Judge Ian Dearden reminded him of the severity of the attack, especially because it was witnessed by a child.

Gympie District Court heard Griffiths had a lengthy history of violent offences.

“No child should be exposed to that,” he said.

He said Griffiths had a “concerning” criminal history, which included an offence where he brutally attacked a teenager at a Gympie skatepark with a metal bar in 2020.

Griffiths was sentenced to two years and three months behind bars with an immediate parole release.

The 261 days he spent behind bars were declared as time served.

A conviction was recorded.